Report doesn't include what school has to offer

"We are a school that I am proud of," asserts the principal of Toronto's First Nations School, Wayne Kodje. He has been leading the school for the past eight years.
The school got its 15 minutes of fame when the Safety Schools Report was released in January. The report looks at the issue of safety in over 400 Toronto schools. Kodje's school ranked lowest out of all the schools.
The report addresses childrens' success in the school and makes recommendations on suspensions, school funding, and the availability of support staff.
After studying the school, the report's author, Julian Falconer, wrote that the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) "is failing one of our most marginalized and vulnerable communities."
Kodje's done numerous interviews on the issue and was wary when Windspeaker called. The stories coming out have been alarming and negative, raising a question of why anyone would want to send their child to this school.
"I don't know if it's as bad as they say it is," stated Phil Fontaine when asked about the report. He questioned whether the report was done in a culturally appropriate way.
Indeed, the media paints a stark picture of the First Nations School. But coming to the school is uplifting, beginning with the artwork and honour feathers in the school's Hall of Honour.
The school is Toronto's only school with a complete focus on First Nations education. It provides Ojibway classes instead of French language classes.
"There is a sense of pride in the air," said Kodje. "The school is important for the community. If you want to have something that has the greatest experience of atmosphere, the total environment for native people, it would be this school."
"This is something very near and dear to their (the community's) heart," he said.
Kodje has two children of his own. "I had my children attend other native schools where I was principal at as well," he said. "I stand by the quality that we try to promote here at First Nations School."
"With what's happened recently, in a way it's a good thing because we are going to get more resources now so we can begin to progress even faster," Kodje explains.
Jules Koostachin is a Cree mom living in Toronto. Incorporating culture into her children's lives is a priority. Her children do not attend the school.
"I initially wanted to send the boys to First Nations School but after doing my placement there years back I quickly changed my mind. I was working in the classroom-there were too many disruptions during the day," she said.
"I really liked the fact that it was a First Nations School with a great curriculum," Koostachin says. "But, there was too much of other things going on in the classroom that the children were not getting the time and energy needed towards developing a good education."
Kodje agrees with some of the comments circulating about the problems the school is facing, but countered, "All schools have their problems. We do have our challenges here because we do have some very needy kids."
"We are progressing in terms of teaching... we do our best."
The problem seems to lie partly in the way the school is funded. The TDSB gives funding based on the number of students attending a school. Enrolment between kindergarten and grade eight at the school sits at approximately 75 in total.
"In terms of the school size, the funding has been rich, but even so, we have a high-needs population here. We could use more staff and more resources. These items are quite expensive... it's going to have to come from the provincial government," Kodje states.
The Province of Ontario does provide funds for Aboriginal education. The report states, "Despite the funding announcements, where monies announced for Aboriginal education have been rolled out to the TDSB, they have not been specifically tied to Aboriginal education initiatives. As a result, TDSB is free to use these monies as they wish."
Parent, Messenger Hawk sits in the school office and explains that his daughter has attended the school since she was two-years-old , beginning with the Head Start Program. He said his wife was nervous about sending their child to the school in the beginning.
"She teaches me now." Hawk said of his daughter who has learned so much and is now teaching him Ojibway.
Kodje remains positive about the school, proudly listing some of their new projects.
"This is something that I can do for my community," Kodje says. "I don't think there's a finer calling in life than to educate the children of your people and try to give them the best start in life that you possibley can. That's what this school is about and that's what I want to be a part of."
The school currently has a nutrition program that provides healthy snacks to all children. They also have a number of cultural programs that teach the Ojibway culture and language, which is available to both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students.